We introduced you to Congressman Tim Ryan (right) at the Creating a Mindful Society conference, held last October in New York City. The congressman was a keynote speaker, and with good reason: few are as visible and vocal about the value of bringing mindfulness practice’s many benefits to the American people. (Ryan is also the author of the new book, A Mindful Nation; watch the book’s trailer here.) Now, Politico.com’s Patrick Gavin (left) has sat down with Ryan, to learn about the Congressman’s personal mindfulness practice, and why (and how) we might all give it a shot.

For more about Tim Ryan and A Mindful Nation, see our July issue, which will start appearing on newsstands in about a week or so. In it you’ll find a triple feature review of A Mindful Nation, Richard Davidson and Sharon Begley’s The Emotional Life of Your Brain, and Chade-Meng Tan’s Search Inside Yourself — as well as a Q&A with the Congressman by the Shambhala Sun’s Andrea Miller.